Argentina have often complained about their treatment by the International Rugby Board (IRB), the feeling that they are seen as second-class citizens. They are the nomads of the world game, the side that has no other function outside of the World Cup and what the Northern Hemisphere call the autumn internationals, a series of entertaining money-spinners before Christmas. Argentina are still in this World Cup despite the world governing body.

After gliding through the pool stages and setting up a quarter-final against Scotland that they will see as a springboard into a semi-final, it raises the question as to why Argentina have been left to wander the globe without the rugby brotherhood welcoming them into either the Tri-Nations or the Six Nations championships.

Is it snobbery on a spectacular scale or simply an issue of money? Argentina have beaten all the Six Nations teams over the last four years in their rise to fourth in the world, and have won four of their last five clashes with current European champions France.

"The whole of rugby should think where we are going, if they want Argentina to compete or not," said Argentina captain and scrumhalf, Agustin Pichot. "We would be very, very proud to play the Six Nations and would do anything to play in that tournament."

For good reason the Argentinian hierarchy would also look towards the Six Nations. Isolation and the belief that teams would have to travel on time-consuming and costly trips to Buenos Aires for some of the fixtures do not stack up.

Most of the current Argentinian squad play their rugby in France. Of the 30-man squad, 16 are professional players in with French clubs, six play in Britain and six in either Ireland or Argentina.

Their coach, Marcelo Loffreda, will also be in England after the World Cup, following his appointment as head coach with Heineken European Cup finalists, Leicester. With will, a compromise could be reached for an Argentina team to base themselves in Europe.

A theory, which the home unions would certainly disagree with, is that Argentina could decamp to somewhere in Spain for the duration of the currently scheduled Six Nations championship, somewhere close to France that has had experience of rugby, a city such as San Sebastian, which has hosted European Cup matches.

The format of the Six Nations would have to be changed drastically but, importantly, the extra team could be accommodated within the same time-frame.

The scheduling in this World Cup did some countries no favours. Argentina were asked to play France on September 7th and Georgia on September 11th. Italy were asked to play New Zealand on September 8th, Romania four days later and Portugal seven days after that. England had a week's break between each of their four pool matches, while New Zealand had eight days between their second and third pool games.

The quality of the Six Nations following this World Cup must also be called into question. Given Argentina's rise and the decline of Ireland and Wales, as well as the struggle of England and Scotland to stutter into the next round, the Six Nations teams are taking a kicking.

Perhaps the cash cow that the Six Nations is needs to have a look at standards and needs to question the levels of performance that a team needs to reach to win it. The injection of a team like Argentina would make it more difficult to win and would accommodate a side that has been, historically, treated shabbily.

The Pumas would energise the competition, make it a true contest for the top world teams outside of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa and show rugby to be inclusive, not exclusive.

But Argentina must also shake off the image they have of being disorganised and have been asked to enhance the structure of the game at home.

"We're not demanding anything, rather we are saying 'here is Argentina'," said Loffreda on Sunday. "There are three steps we have to take. First reflect, then make structural changes looking for what suits us best and finally take decisions to put that in motion."

IRB chairman Ireland's Syd Millar said before the World Cup that the IRB had money to give Argentina once they had implemented a high-performance structure.

"It's clear we (and they) are not agreed on this subject," said Millar. "Yes, we'll give them the funds, but the IRB council wants that to be in exchange for a structure. The money is available but the UAR (Argentinian union) must complete the job for us to be able to give it to them."

Millar also used the example of Ireland and the restructuring undertaken by the IRFU. "The Irish example is valid. We had to repatriate our players to begin to be competitive. (Argentina) must do something similar."

Argentina don't have the millions of euros from a Six Nations championship to sustain something like that but they have a national team that is a sexy team.

Marketing the side would be less difficult than selling some of the other nations currently idling in the championship and with any change they would, of course, have to get a slice of the pie, some of the sponsorship money and a cut of the television rights. Therein lies the problem.

If anything, rugby knows where its bread is buttered and that does not mean engaging in what they would view as charitable enterprises for foreign countries.